


Puppet Master

by AbbieNormal



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27760609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbbieNormal/pseuds/AbbieNormal
Summary: Another glimpse of an abandoned timeline. The Doctor must save his friend, who has been possessed by a homicidal sentient consciousness.
Kudos: 2





	Puppet Master

**Author's Note:**

> Another scene that I wrote years ago that I never ended up using. I keep wanting to go back to it, but I never have. Feel free to project onto these abandoned scenes as you see fit lol. Everyone needs to imagine themselves as the Doctor's companion every once in a while.

“Oh,” the Doctor beamed, “that’s beautiful. You, sonny-Jim, are just  _ gorgeous _ . Can you believe that, Alex? The entire water cycle for a colonised world, but  _ alive _ and  _ conscious _ , and being drunken up in flagons, and being swam in on the shorelines, and raining on your head and being danced in and sung in and kissed in, and soaking into your skin, and running down the back of your neck, and...”

And then the Doctor’s brain caught up with his mouth. He whirled around to face the centre of the cavern, eyes darkening. Alex stood there alone, staring back at him.

“Oh,” he said again. “Oh, that’s just not playing fair.”

The Doctor approached her evenly, keeping his voice low.

“The adult human body contains an average of around sixty-percent water. A large amount of that percentage is contained in the brain, the lungs, the heart, and roughly a third in the bones. Few things in the universe can be as insidious as your standard chemical H20. Poison the water supply, and before long there goes your civilisation.” He leaned in close. “Get out of her.”

Alex didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. “What are you on about, Doctor? I’m right here. I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Don’t play games with me. Get.  _ Out _ . Of her.”

Alex continued to stare at him. After a long, long silence, her lips moved.

“No.”

The word instantly sounded wrong, unnatural. Raspy, like it had been forced from her throat. Breathy, like she was struggling for air.

“There are other ways to communicate with me, most of which would make me less angry. I have psychic paper to hand - thankfully, nobody removed anything from my wallet. You can always talk with that, rather than using my friend as a puppet.”

Alex’s fingers twitched. “Cannot,” she said after a few moments. “Struggle. This one.  _ Aid _ speaking.”

“You mean you need someone to translate for you.” The Doctor scowled. “Or that you believe you need a hostage in order to get me to listen.”

The Dreamcatcher was silent for a little while, perhaps considering this. “This one.  _ Delicious _ . But. I  _ speak _ . So. I continue. Not. Not eat again. I  _ must _ .  _ Must _ eat again.”

“I can understand that. I prefer a good chat over dying, as well. Fine. I suppose this is faster than the paper, anyway. But you’d better not harm her. Or anyone else, for that matter. If you do, I’ll know about it. I can promise you that.”

Alex nodded once, very slow and deliberate. She still didn’t blink, or move any other muscle. “Speak. Lord of Time.”

The Doctor stood up straight, caught by surprise. “You know what I am.”

“ _ Taste _ it. Speak.”

If the Doctor hadn’t been watching closely, he might have thought Alex was smiling as she said it. He almost wished the Dreamcatcher would give her some sort of expression. If it expressed any particular emotion, he might have a better idea of whether this thing was truly sentient or not.

“So how long have you been keeping this one up your sleeve, eh? Did you not have enough energy before to pull this off, to take active control as opposed to merely suggesting? Is it a matter of proximity? Or did you make a special effort just for me?”

“I have. Hidden. Within this one. This one. Came to me here. Before.”

“I thought something seemed a little off. The way she spoke to me as we came through here, it sounded almost manufactured, too plain and simple, like she was doing a bad impression of herself. If you’ve done anything to Alex’s mind-” the Doctor began in a growl.

“Had no need. For  _ puppets _ . Until you. You. Require attention.”

“That’s one way of putting it. Bit of a show-stopper, me.”

“You. Made yourself.  _ Filter. _ You. Continue to lure me. After I spit you out.” Despite her flat tones, Alex still managed to sound bemused. There was an unspoken question in the creature’s words:  _ why _ .

“Yes. To protect them all. As you are probably fully aware, I have quite the memory banks to draw from. Thought that’d keep you busy for a while.”

“You. Plentiful, yes. You.  _ Bitter _ . Not. Preferable.”

The Doctor frowned, wounded. “So you’re saying I’m an acquired taste. Brilliant. All that fuss, and then the monsters don’t even want to eat me.”

Alex - or rather, the entity possessing her body - smirked, though her eyes remained completely lifeless, like something else was behind them. The Doctor felt a chill run up his back. “Not a matter of want. I  _ must _ . Eat. Survive.”

“You need to stay away from them,” the Doctor warned it. “Half the sentient species of this world have lived here as long as you, and some for longer. And they  _ will _ fight back. I understand you only began this out of necessity, but it’s spiraling out of control now. Surely you can see that? This is no longer about desperate survival. This is taking more than you could ever need.  _ This - _ ” the Doctor waved his hands up and down to indicate Alex’s body - “this is your entitlement talking. You never had to take things this far. Something like you is far too powerful to depend on people like... _ this! _ Never mind the fact that this one’s just a child. She couldn’t provide you with much sustenance anyway - hardly any experience worth taking. She’s had no time to really cook.”

Alex squinted - whether the Dreamcatcher was more fascinated by this statement or suspicious of it the Doctor could not guess. It was a complete unknown in all regards. The Doctor knew his options here were few, and this fact troubled him.

_ This ocean is a living creature! _ The thought consumed him, made his hearts thrum in overtime. _ It’s alive and self-aware! _

But that didn’t mean it could be aware of others, could feel, could empathise or negotiate.

But still the Doctor had to try. “I don’t have to stop you,” he said. “Not entirely. You’ve tasted my thoughts, you know exactly what I’m capable of. You’ve seen the kind of monsters that are scared of me. None of that has to happen here. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” 

There was a pause, then her lips moved again. “I.”

When she didn’t continue, the Doctor took a step closer. “It may still be the case that you’re unaware of the effect you’re having on this world and its colonists. See, I’m not like most people you’ve been feeding from, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Cause back there when you got a taste of Time Lord -” he tapped the side of his head energetically - “ _ I _ also got a taste of  _ you _ . I know that you’re frightened and alone despite the reach you now have, and that you’re so lost in time and space that you don’t even know what you are - only that you’re a guest here like me. Well, when I say like me, I of course mean  _ nothing like me _ . For one thing, I don’t have a detachable brain. You know, that must be a really useful knack to have.” A thoughtful frown crossed the Doctor’s face. “Then again, I can’t think what for.”

Alex cocked her head to one side, in one long, slow gesture that the Doctor found unsettlingly familiar.

“Point is, I find it very interesting that you haven’t flooded into my mind again trying to find a kill-switch. And I don’t believe, from what I  _ have _ learned about you, that you’re one of those conquer-the-galaxy-within-a-hivemind consciousnesses. Consciousnesses? Yeah, that is the right word. So perhaps, and I do stress  _ perhaps _ , there’s a way we can work around this.”

Alex’s expression furrowed into vague concern. “I,” she said again, with more feeling.

“Perhaps you could find another food supply - an acquired taste, if you will,” the Doctor grinned. “Eating  _ memories _ and diluting synaptic surges to survive can’t be a particularly healthy diet, even for something like you. You could simply wait up until the moment of death, for example, of natural causes! Who needs thoughts and feelings when you’re dead! That’s something you’re more than capable of! Have a feast every once in a while and treat yourself, sure - but mainly keep on that special wholemeal brand. And if you can expand yourself into the structure of water molecules, I don’t see why you couldn’t spread yourself thin enough to absorb  _ quarks _ , nobody would miss those...”

Without turning her head, Alex glanced over to the crystal, then back to the Doctor. There was no way to tell what the Dreamcatcher was thinking, or whether it was even listening to him at all. 

“See, you don’t have to harm anyone, or even particularly bother them. Hide yourself away, photosynthesise, feast on full-blown electricity - power lines, lightning storms,  _ anything _ . No-one else has to die or suffer losses so you can survive. You can adapt, even  _ evolve _ . Grow and rediscover whatever it is that you are! Perhaps reinvent it. A whole new species and form of existence, right here in this cavern! Saying that, I have a ship, we can just move you, you can have your own space, your own world, your-“

“I.” Alex shivered where she stood. Goosebumps rose where water trickled down her arm. “I. Hear. Truth. Your thoughts. You. Will not. Leave me. Let me. Continue. Eating. This way. No. Continue. No continue. You will not. Do what spoken.”

The Doctor’s face fell. “No no no no,” he said quickly, raising a finger. “I’m giving you an out here, I’m willing to let you continue feeding. You just have to dial it back a bit, that’s all...”

“Your thoughts. Truth.  _ Bitter. _ ” Alex spoke now through gritted teeth. “I would eat.  _ Little _ . Soon. None. You would not.  _ Allow.”  _

“Not if you actually take what I’m saying on board! Please, just listen, I am trying to keep you alive, I’m trying! Please just listen,  _ please _ !” the Doctor pleaded. “I’m saving your life here!”

“Guilt,” she spat. “ _ Bitter. _ Your thoughts. Too late. To allow. Continue. I eat. Eat and eat. So much. Too much. Too late. You would not.  _ Allow _ . Too much eat. Too much guilt. Too bitter taste.” The creature seemed to be getting angry, now: Alex was snarling her words and jerking violently. “You. Say you try. You.  _ Already decide _ .”

“Don’t do this,” said the Doctor. “It doesn’t have to be like this. I can find you somewhere else, you can live in peace!”

“I.  _ Eat _ . Eat and eat and eat and eat and eat. You will.  _ Not _ . End me. I not.  _ Allow _ you.  _ Allow _ you continue! Guilt. I.  _ Hate. _ Guilt!  _ You end! I  _ end _ you,  _ Time Lord! End you where you stand! I will not let you kill me before this world is dry! Before their bodies are dry!”

He could see that he was losing ground, and he became more desperate than ever to get this consciousness out of Alex. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at her. "You can try, but you'll have to go through me. And I'll tell you one thing right now. I will _not_ let you have Alex."

“This one. So.  _ Sweet _ . Sour. All flavour. So.  _ Intense _ . Delicious. Delicious misery, loneliness. Wanting. Wet and sweet wanting. This one.  _ Delicious _ . So. Much. Sadness.” Alex looked up, eyes dull and vacant yet fully fixed on the Doctor’s face. Her limbs drooped - a doll held up only by its hair. “You will.  _ Not _ take. Before I. Done. Eating.”

She got to her feet, stood at her full height.

“This one. This...  _ child _ . I will  _ savour _ her, to the last drop.”

“Oh,” said the Doctor darkly. “You really shouldn’t have said that. You shouldn’t have ever suggested that you  _ enjoy _ this.”

“Enjoy.” Alex came barreling toward him with shoulders wide and forward, teeth bared in a grim smile. “There is no  _ enjoy _ . If the decision is me or them, then there is no decision. You know this. You  _ decided  _ this.”

The Doctor sighed. “I’m sorry. I really am. But you’re wrong. I really did want to save you.”

He stepped forward and touched two fingers deftly to Alex’s temple. With a small, surprised gasp she slumped to the ground, unconscious, with nothing but swathes of sand to cushion her fall. The Doctor didn’t stop to check on her condition, striding ahead towards the central dais with intent in his eyes.

“But then you started hurting people.  _ Killing _ them. That’s when you lost your chance to negotiate with me. I willingly stood here, in spite of that, and gave you another way out. I needed to know if you would listen.” The Doctor produced the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the crystal. “No more chances.”


End file.
